Eternity
by Kate Lily
Summary: Well, it's been literally YEARS since updated this. For those of you still around and remember the original, enjoy the newly updated CHAPTERS 8 AND 9! I hope to rework the earlier chapters over the summer and finally complete the novel.
1. The Calling

The Calling

The Calling

By Kat-chan

"Hey, see you guys tomorrow!"

Yamato slung the heavy guitar case over his shoulder, his hard-soled school shoes tapping loudly on the wooden floor of the auditorium stage. It had been another unproductive rehearsal; they all were since their guitar player had left the band. How did the rest of the guys remaining ever expect to make it big if the refused to show up to practice on time?

Sighing, Ishida Yamato pushed open the heavy steel door, closing his eyes briefly as the chill night breeze played through his wild, dirty blond hair.

"Hey there, Yama!"

A moment of panic shot through the core of the teenager's heart. Jun! Anything but Jun! She was the plague the hovered in the air, threatening to infect him at the first sign of weakness, was his shadow that stalked him under the sun. Yamato prayed fervently and silently, the tonight the parasite would get it through her thick skull that he had no romantic interest in her. Actually, he held no interest in her whatsoever.

"Umm . . . Earth to Yamato!"

The tall young man breathed a heavy sigh of relief as his deep blue eyes fluttered open. It was a girl that stood in front of him, but not the lanky, obsessive groupie he had expected to choke him in a tight hug. No, it definitely was not who he expected. The girl's shoulder length auburn hair was styled far to neatly to be Jun's and this girl was far shorter than Yamato's nightmare. Yamato found himself smiling at the small, naturally pretty girl, one of his closet friends.

"Umm . . . Sorry Sora," he mumbled, blushing fiercely. "I thought you were Jun."

Sora simply smiled further entrancing Yamato with her innocent charm. "That's ok. I can't blame you for being paranoid," she giggled girlishly. "Jun's gone off the deep end for you." She continued to laugh, though now it was more than a little nervously. "Actually, all the girls in school have."

"Yeah?" was all that Yamato could bring himself to reply. There was a prolonged moment of awkward silence; he found himself shoving his hands deep into his pockets and staring up into the darkened sky. Anything to keep from looking at the flushed Sora.

"So, can I give you a ride home on my bike?" he finally asked after a struggle with his own vocal chords.

"Nah. I've seen the way you ride around on your motorcycle. No offense, Yama, but I don't really feel like risking my neck for a ride."

Yamato chuckled; he couldn't refute her words, "none taken."

"Besides," she continued in her light, cheery tone, "I'm waiting for Taichi."

Yamato keenly felt his heart cracking apart. "Tai, huh?" It was no secret that his reckless best friend had a crush on Sora for years now, but Yamato would have never expected her to feel the same for him.

"Yeah, he's in my chemistry class and we thought we'd get a bit more studying in. You really don't want to fail your last year of high school."

"Yeah . . . well, I'll see you tomorrow, Sora. I gotta get going."

Yamato lay restlessly in his small room of the tiny Odaiba apartment that he shared with his ever-working father. His father's absence kept him up nights any longer, but his budding feeling of jealousy did. So what if Tai and Sora like each other? What did it matter to him?

Tossing and turning, he tried to keep it out of his mind, tried not to hate his best friends of seven years. Eventually Yamato found himself sinking into an unsettled sleep . . .

A small man jolted him; the only speck of hair on him was the topknot at the summit of his shiny head. He was cloaked in bright, festive robes and both eyes seemed perpetually squeezed shut. 

"Gennai?" Yamato asked groggily.

The old man chuckled. "Been a long time, hasn't it?"

Yamato furrowed his brow, only now realizing that there was nothing but hazy smoke around the two of them. And then there was the fact that Gennai was a young man the last time he saw him.

"We need your help," Gennai continued.

"Huh?"

"The Digital World is in great danger, unlike anything you children have ever face."

Fighting hard against the remnants of sleep, Yamato shook his head vigorously. "What do you want me to do?"

"Find the lost Chosen Child, the bearer of Faith." Gennai began to fad back into the haze. "Only they can free us. Find them . . . please . . . release Destiny!"

Yamato sat upright in his bed, drenched in a cold sweat. Breathing heavily, he brought his hand up to his bare, lean chest. There he found a digivice and tag, bearing a crest he did not recognize. 

Shaking, Yamato stood to walk over to where he kept his bag and his cell phone. The others had to know about this.


	2. Friendship Meets His Match

Friendships Meets His Match

Friendships Meets His Match

By Kat-chan

She groaned softly, cursing the restricting skirt of her brand new school uniform. This had to be her hundredth transfer, but the was the penalty of being a "military kid." Squirming slightly in the uncomfortable clothing, the girl mounted the stairs of Odaiba High.

Others peered at her curiously, but thankfully no one asked any questions. She was grateful for the peace, she didn't need any other distractions as she struggled to remember the location of her first class. But, as if by cruel twist of fate, the bell rang before she could find her way.

"It's about time," a rather disgruntled woman of a teacher snorted when the girl finally slid in silently through the door.

"Terrible sorry ma'am," she whispered with a respectful bow of her head.

"Well then," the teacher continued, "class, this is Chigiri Maelyn. She just transferred here from America. Please try to make her feel welcome."

The room full of the blank faces of idle teenagers only murmured and muttered in reply before turning back to their own vapid conversations. Shaking her head, the teacher turned back to her new student.

"Maelyn, please take one of the empty desk between Yamato and Jun."

With another bow of her head, Maelyn started down the row, avoiding all the eyes that turned her way. Not wanting to seem a snob on her first impression, she smiled slightly to a few. Her smile increased tenfold as she reached her desk and met the gazes of three dumbfounded boys. A bit of pink touched her cheeks as two of them, a red head and a very handsome guy with equally wild hair, stuttered their greetings. The third, the Yamato the teacher had referred to, only blinked his deep blue eyes at her.

"Hello," Maelyn whispered, quickly taking her seat and turning away from the boys, especially the tall blond. She supposed the pink in her cheeks was now burning a bright red.

"Listen, sweetie." Maelyn nearly fell backwards in her chair as the large face with unkempt maroon hair pushed in close to hers.

"Yammy's my boyfriend. He loves me. So keep those eyes to yourself."

Maelyn glanced toward her left, where Yamato slammed his head repeatedly onto his desk and his two friends simply laughed at him. Then, her gaze returned to the obnoxious Jun.

"Got it. "Yammy's" yours." The girl backed away, thankfully taking the rank odor with her, and Maelyn set her head down with a sigh of relief.

"Wow, what a babe, huh? Taichi whispered to Yamato, running a hand up through his hair.

"Yeah . . . I guess she's ok," Yamato replied, still fighting the envy that his encounter with Sora had planted in him.

"Those things make her too top heavy," an unexpected voice added. "Not very aerodynamic if you ask me. But they look . . . well, prodigious."

The two young men turned to look at Izumi "Izzy" Koushiro, the quiet genius of their group of friends. Neither had expected him to even glance at a girl, much less make such a comment.

Izzy grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, I can admire the female anatomy, can't I?" He had blurted the statement out a bit louder than intended.

"Izumi Koushiro!" the teacher scolded. "I don't care what you are admiring. This is a history class, not a burlesque hall!"

"Sorry ma'am," Izzy said, frowning at the class' ensuing laughter.

"Good. Now Maelyn, perhaps you can tell me what you know about Columbus."

Yamato yawned, as he did in every class and only half listened to the new girl's soft-spoken answer.

"Umm . . ." she began timidly. "Christopher Columbus was commissioned by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain to a find a new, all water route to India. He supposedly discovered America, but he only really stepped on the islands of the Caribbean. The true credit for discovering America goes to the Norsemen centuries earlier."

"Is that all?" The teacher seemed far from impressed. "Can you tell me what he called the inhabitants that he found."

"The stories say he called the native peoples "Indians" because he thought he had reached India," she continued coyly. "Though I would give more credit to Columbus' intelligence. So actually, he called the people "In Dios" which is Latin for "People of God." It was later changed to the present pronunciation by lazy peasants, and, unfortunately, it stuck." Every jaw in the room dropped, even Izzy had to admit that he didn't know that little bit of trivia.

For the first time, Yamato turned to get a good look at the girl. Maelyn's face was flushed with embarrassment, her thick, shiny brown hair forming a curtain to hide her from view. She had high cheekbones, a tiny nose and large, expressive green eyes. Nothing short of beautiful, Yamato felt slight warmth creeping over him as he continued to look at the girl.

The bell rang, snapping Yamato out of his daze. He rushed out of the room, praying no one saw the redness of his face.

Finally, lunchtime, Maelyn thought. She didn't think that she could handle many blanker stares every time she said anything intelligent. And thankfully, she hadn't encountered the gorgeous Yamato and his obsessive stalker. 

Now she was being pulled along by Sora, who had promised to show her the best spot for lunch and introduce her to the "gang." Sora seemed nice enough to Maelyn, a bit too perky and preppy, but at least she was going out of her way to be nice. Not to mention that Maelyn sorely needed a friend at that moment.

Two others, obviously freshmen, greeted them. One of them was a slight girl with light brown hair and the other was a lanky blue eyed blond wearing a khaki bucket cap. He reminded Maelyn oddly of Yamato.

"Hey guys! This is Maelyn," Sora beamed. "Maelyn, this is Hikari, Tai's little sister."

"Hi!" the girl's smile was brilliant. No wonder her name meant, "light."

"And this cutie," Sora continued, "is Takeru. We all call him T.K."

Maelyn simply smiled, nodding her greetings to them. 

" . . . Sorry . . . I'm . . . late," another freshmen popped up, bent over and panting. He seemed almost identical to the Taichi in Maelyn's history class, only younger and his hair weighed down under a pair of ridiculous looking goggles. When he caught his breath, he came as close as possible to Maelyn, grinning stupidly. "Hiya! I'm Daisuke, soccer player extraordinare! And you . . . re real cute!" Everyone burst into laughter as Maelyn stared at him in confusion.

"You'll have to forgive Daisuke," yet another new voice said. "The only thing he is, is bonehead extraordinare." Maelyn looked over her shoulder at Tai for a moment, flashing a friendly smile.

"Yeah, he may be dumb, but he makes for a good punching bag."

Turning back around, she saw Daisuke struggle as Yamato held him in a half nelson and rubbed his fist down into his scalp. Maelyn also saw three other had joined them. Izzy, who she recognized, but the spectacled girl and the pale, raven-haired boy, she did not. Maelyn found she smiled nonetheless, especially as Daisuke continued to be tortured by the older boys.

"Hello," a timid voice said to her side. She glanced over to the pale face framed by chin length black hair. "I am Ichijouji Ken, he said, making a small bow at the waist. "And you are?"

"Chigiri Maelyn," she returned his formal politeness. A chuckle rose in her throat as she spotted the rouging of his cheeks.

After introductions and other idle banter, the small talk began.

"So . . . do you have any hobbies or anything?" Hikari asked.

"Well," Maelyn thought it well to measure her words. "I dance, play guitar and sing."

"And you're a genius babe that stole my heart . . ." Daisuke received several hearty slaps on the back of the head, which promptly shut him up.

"Really?" TK beamed. "You know, my bro here has a band. And it just so happens that they're looking for a new guitarist."

"You two are brothers?" she looked back and forth between TK and Yamato.

"Yeah, but we're separated," Yamato replied in his ever ambivalent tone. "And we don't do any acoustic sets."

"Acoustics?" Maelyn furrowed her brow in confusion

"We're a rock band, not a touchy-feely, feminine folk set."

"Is that so?" Maelyn rose to her feet, hands planted firmly on her hips. "You think that just because I act a little bit shy, am quiet and, above all else, am a girl, that I can't play? That I enjoy the crap Jewel puts out?"

"Umm, don't you?"

Yamato winced as her open hand connected with his jaw. It stung like hell, and when he opened his eyes Yamato saw Maelyn storming a3way, several of the others rushing after her.

She was fuming for the rest of the afternoon. A folk singer; Maelyn had never been so insulted in all her life. But she would show him, she would go to that audition and blow the competition away. After a short detour home for more comfortable clothes consisting of her fuschia blouse and jeans shorts, Maelyn returned to the school auditorium with her trusty guitar. She waited patiently as the other hopefuls stumbled through simple chords and were easily dismissed. 

"That's all of them," Yamato sighed. "We're never gonna find a replacement . . ."

"Wait!" Maelyn called from the back row of seats. "I haven't had my audition yet."

The other band members looked at one another, nodding and snickering among themselves. Yamato simply sat, refusing to acknowledge her.

Taking a moment to properly tune her instrument, Maelyn strummed a single, dissonant note. Smiling while those present began to frown, she began to pound out the beginning of "Purple Haze," not a single not being overlooked.

"No?" Maelyn said to the dropped jaws and retuning the faded red guitar. "Something from a later period, perhaps?"

The most heavenly sound poured from her skilled fingers as she caressed the strings through the opening of "Stairway to Heaven." She began to sing her voice on perfect pitch, in perfect English. It went on for nearly five minutes, the softness of the music locking the boys into a spell of sorts. It was exactly what Maelyn wanted, when she suddenly changed tempo, key and style all together. She slammed harder on the strings, pumping out strong, urgent notes that seemed to blur together in perfect harmony.

None of the four band members could see how her fingers could work her guitar so furiously while she continued to sing in perfect time. Each found their eyes closed as the last notes slowly faded into blissful silence, like the last remnants of a sweet kiss.

They all grinned at Yamato as they hurried out, making their selection to which they wanted as the newest member clear. Now it was up to him.

"So," Maelyn said rather haughtily, "whose the folk singer now?"

Yamato's blue eyes narrowed. Would she never get over that? He sighed, moving up beside her on the stage.

"Well? Am I in or not? Everyone else liked what I have to offer."

The tall young man was just about to speak, searching for some reason to deny her, when they were both blinded by an intense glow. The Crest of Faith raised slowly out of its place in the pocket of Yamato's uniform jacket to land in the palm of Maelyn's hand.

"Not her, anyone but her," Yamato groaned as he face the confused look of the newest Digidestined.


	3. Garden of Eden

Garden of Eden

Garden of Eden

By Kat-chan

Maelyn stared at the tiny glass panel in her hand, studying the concentric circles within a geometric star. It radiated a strange energy; one that Maelyn feared would consume her. Yamato had backed away from her, seeming none too happy as he held several frantic conversations over his cell phone. Maelyn couldn't discern any individual words, but she had half a hunch about which he had called.

Minutes wore on in torturous silence, Yamato worriedly staring at the unbelievable girl. All he did was stare, causing Maelyn to shift her weight uncomfortably, when she wasn't absorbed in examining her new crest. 

Finally, Yamato's phone rang, breaking the dread silence in the empty auditorium. After a short, hushed conversation he pulled some sort of pendant from around his neck and a strange pager-like device from his pocket, tossing them to Maelyn.

"That's you tag and digivice," he said coldly, heading for the door. He turned back toward her as he neared the exit, impatience etched across the lines of his handsome face. "Let's go. We have to meet the others in the park."

Maelyn didn't complain, only chose to ignore his rudeness and follow after him. She still hadn't even the slightest clue of what was happening to her; she wasn't even sure if she could trust Yamato. But her curiosity negated her concerns and prompted her to mount the motorcycle behind him.

Yamato rode like a madman; Maelyn was sure that they had come near to breaking the sound barrier. The tearing wind and blurred scenery thrilled her, despite her revulsion of having her arms wrapped tightly around Yamato's hardened midsection. He seemed aloof from everything, his eyes focused ahead on their destination. They reached the park shortly, the ride having left Maelyn gasping for breath. Twelve others, two of which she did not recognize came running toward them.

"Whoa, dude! Maelyn's the new Digidestined? I think I've died and gone to heaven." Daisuke gave is usual innocent and vapid grin. "Hikari, you better kiss me and make sure I'm breathing.

A slap to the back of the head by an annoyed Taichi ended Daisuke's rambling. He then approached Maelyn with a wide, charming smile. "Welcome to the team," Taichi said, extending his hand to her.

Laughing, the other gathered around her, talking all at once. Maelyn looked around at them, even more confused than she had been in the school auditorium. There was a little pulse from the crest she clenched. She lifted and opened her hand, emitting the same strong light as before. Silence fell over the group. Each now looked about them blindly, trying to make sense of things. Then, the light exploded and faded; only three were left of the group.

"Dude, where'd they go?" Daisuke exclaimed.

Why did this stuff always have to happen to her? Maelyn thought as she got up from the hard ground. Her bright green eyes widened in shock as she realized that they were no longer in the park, but somewhere deep in the wilderness. "This thing is able to teleport us to the Indonesian jungles?" she wondered aloud, indicating her crest.

"Of course not," a young man with blue hair and glasses shook her hand. "I'm Jyou, by the way. We haven't met yet."

"Umm . . . Maelyn," she shook her head, trying to clear her jumble of thoughts. "Now where the _HELL_ are we?!?!?" She felt as though she was about to suffer a panic attack.

"Hey, calm down now." Jyou flashed a wide smile. "We're . . . relatively . . . safe here."

"Good Old Reliable," Taichi whispered to Yamato. "He'll handle this.

"You see," Jyou continued, "we aren't in Indonesia. We've been transported to the Digital World. Most likely, it was by the powers of your crest."

Maelyn, still beyond the realms of confusion, asked "Digital World? Crest? Now I suppose I'll see talking monsters!"

Jyou opened his mouth to answer.

"We're not monsters! We're digimon," a foreign interrupted before the blue-haired young man could say a word.

Maelyn slowly turned around, facing a three-foot tall, yellow dinosaur walking on two legs. With it was a large pink bird, a horned, blue Saint Bernard, a bipedal cat and . . . a bat-pig. 

"Oh . . . I feel sick . . ." Everything went black for Maelyn as she fainted into Jyou's arms.

An hour later, Maelyn woke to find Jyou and Sora quietly keeping vigil over her. They both smiled warmly as the noticed her eyes opening.

"How're you feeling?" Sora asked, light from a nearby campfire casting shadows over her face.

"I dreamt I saw talking monsters," Maelyn replied groggily. He jaw dropped several inches as she sat up; the monsters had been real and now they were joined by a giant green caterpillar, some sort of pinkish-red insect and a marine mammal with a bad mohawk for a haircut. "Kame," Maelyn wailed, drawing a snicker from Yamato.

Before anyone could even attempt to explain any of it to her, a shrieking was heard from above. Simultaneously, everyone looked skyward to see a mass of pink descending on them. "Mimi?" they all asked in unison!"

"Oomph!" They pink clad girl hit the ground none too gently. Fortunately, she hadn't been hurt. "Hey guys," Mimi laughed, dusting off her short skirt. Her eyes brightened as she spotted Maelyn, rushing forward to wrap her in a tight hug. "I haven't seen you in ages Mae! What're you doing here?"

Maelyn frowned. "That's what I'd like to know."

Fortunately for Maelyn, Mimi enjoyed the sound of her own voice and explained all about the concept of the Digital World and it's inhabitants. Maelyn still didn't completely comprehend, but, from what the others had said, they had no way of reaching home just yet; and to the newest of the Chosen Children, that was a bad thing by far.

"You learn to make the best of it," Ken said to her softly as all the other was drifting off to sleep. "If you give it a chance, the Digital World can become a paradise.

"Yeah," Maelyn muttered, studying the exotic trees and breathing in the too-clean air as she settled in for her first watch. "A regular Garden of Eden . . ."


	4. World in Crisis

World in Crisis

World in Crisis

By Kat-chan

Yamato stretched, feeling the early morning sun shining on his face. It had been seven years since he spent the night in the Digital World, and he had to admit that he missed the experience. His smile increased tenfold as her looked down on Gabumon, his own digimon partner, and ruffled his blue and white fur. "It's been a while, eh Gabumon? It feels good to be stuck here again; just like in the good old days."

"Just don't get yourself stuck in any more dark caves," the bipedal horned Saint Bernard wolf hybrid answered.

"I won't," Yamato chuckled, approaching the rest of the group. 

"Maelyn. Maelyn wake up." Ken shook the girl's shoulders, trying vainly to wake her.

"Just five more minutes," she mumbled, rolling over.

"I've got if Ken," Yamato said, turning an eye on the standing white cat. "Hey Tailmon, can I see your whistle?"

"Uh . . . sure?" claws handed the worn pewter thing over.

Maelyn jumped to her feet as Yamato blew a long, shrill note in her ear. She trembled in shock for a moment before yelling and running after him in order to catch him and beat him to a bloody pulp. Yamato simply laughed mockingly and made sure to keep at least a step ahead of her.

"You bastard," she screamed. "Get back . . ." Maelyn skidded to a halt, facing a tiny old man with his eyes squeezed shut. " . . . here?"

"My, such language from the savior of two worlds," the old man chuckled. Maelyn could do nothing but stare, the others gathering near.

"Palmon!" Mimi cried, running to what appeared to be a walking weed and becoming tangled in her vines.

"Why, hello children," the little man continued. "Though I really shouldn't be calling most of you children any more." He turned back to Maelyn. "I see Yamato did what I asked him."

"Huh?" was all that Maelyn could choke out.

"Uh . . . Gennai," Taichi said. "Why're we here? What happened to Daisuke, Iori and Miyako? And weren't you a young guy last time?"

"The other three are still in your world. They couldn't be summoned back because they lack the power of a crest." Gennai folded his hands behind his back. "Only the original Chosen Children, with their own special powers can free the Digital World of the new evil."

"New evil?" Sora piped in.

"A deeper darkness than even the Dark Masters could inspire is slowly consuming the hearts of digimon all over the Digital World. You have your work cut out for you, but the crest, together, can free them."

"What's the new evil? Who's it coming from?" Taichi prompted.

"I . . ." everyone leaned in closer to ensure that they heard Gennai's answer, " . . . don't know."

The Chosen Children let out a groan as a team.

"But I do know that if it isn't stopped, than both our worlds will be lost. The crests, especially that of Faith, are crucial to success. If you fail, it would mean a universe overrun by corrupt, evil beings."

All eyes turned to Maelyn, who looked down at the little old man.

"So . . . let me get this straight," she said. "I get to save the world?"

"Yes, pretty much. But first, you'll need a digimon too." Gennai motioned to a group of bushes several yards away. "It's ok Shinimon, you can come out."

From out of the bushes waddles a short, scaly thing. Maelyn couldn't quite place her finger on what the hundreds of purple scales, lavender wings and violet eyes reminded her of.

"Shinimon, this is Maelyn. Now Maelyn, I want you to take good care of Shinimon. She's shy, but she's the only weapon you'll have against this new enemy." Gennai seemed to blink for a moment, as if realizing something. "I'm going to miss my chess game with Ogremon and Leomon! Goodbye children and take care!" The old man faded from view.

"Does he know that chess is a two player game?" Ken asked

"I don't think it matters," Taichi replied. "Well, we'd better start walking unless we want to sit around and wait for the Digital World to crumble around us."

Maelyn sighed, looking down at her timid little digimon. She had a feeling that this was going to be a long trip.


	5. Group Dynamic

Group Dynamic

Group Dynamic

By Kat-chan

"Yamato?" Gabumon tugged on the leg of his human's khaki pants.

"What's up, G-man?" Yamato looked down, stopping to let the others pull ahead of them

"Why're you so mean to her?"

Yamato blinked his deep blue eyes at the curious creature. "Mean to who?"

"Maelyn. Don't get me wrong, but I think you actually like making her mad at you."

"Yeah . . ." Yamato said, shoving his hands deep into his pockets and starting to hike again. "So what if I do?"

"That's cruel Yama. Don't you think you're hurting her feelings? It's her first time her and she's probably scared and confused. Why don't you try to take it a little easier on her?" Wise little Gabumon scrambled to keep up with Yamato's long strides.

"Whatever," Yamato grumbled. Why was he suddenly coming under fire? Did it really matter how he felt about the girl? Maelyn annoyed him, with her superior music talents and outgoing personality. And she had hit him, in front of all his friends. Why shouldn't he hate her?

"Lunchtime!"

Yamato was pulled out of his thoughts as he nearly walked into his little brother Takeru.

"Umm . . ." Taichi looked around, already assuming the position of leader. "Jyou, Mimi; you guys go fishing. Sora and I will find some fruit. The rest of you can build a fire or something."

A soft growl echoed in Yamato's throat. He truly hated Taichi at these times, despite their close friendship. He was so arrogant, simply naming himself leader and keeping Sora to himself. His fists clenched, Yamato stormed down to the nearby lake; he need to be alone.

She was the strangest thing Maelyn had ever seen, even stranger than the other digimon in their group. Shinimon was completely purple, from the top of her two leathern wings to the bottom of her clawed feet. Even her long, forked tongue was more lavender than red.

"You know, purple's my favorite color," Maelyn said, trying to break the proverbial ice.

Just as she had done the past four hours, Shinimon only looked up at her and smiled in appreciation.

"Give it time," Ken whispered in Maelyn's ear. "She's as new at this as you are." Maelyn turned and smiled at the pale, lanky boy. She didn't understand him just yet, but she felt the gentleness of his nature. She already liked him.

"Well, Shinimon," she said, looking back to the coy little dragon. "We better go get washed up for lunch."

The two, in an awkward silence, made their way down toward the lake.

Soft, soulful music filled the air as Yamato skillfully manipulated the old, worn harmonica that he always kept in his pocket for luck. He needed it now, needed the notes to soothe him into blissful oblivion.

A quiet laugh caused the young musician to open his eyes. Across the lake he spotted Taichi swinging a joyous Sora in his arms. His cerulean eyes narrowed, the seed of jealousy in him germinating as he watched his two best friends at play. But then his heart nearly snapped in two when he saw the supposed girl of his dreams kiss his best friend deeply.

Yamato glared at Taichi throughout the whole meager meal, unnerving the wild haired leader. Consumed by fantasies of tearing out his throat, he only grumbled in reply to whoever asked his opinion on where they were to go next.

"Geeze, what's your problem, man?" Taichi finally demanded. "You'd think you're pissed at me or something."

"Maybe I am, you back stabbing jackass!"

"What?" Taichi seemed thoroughly perplexed.

"Don't play innocent, Leader Boy," Yamato spat contemptuously. "I saw what you did; despite the fact that you knew I wanted the same thing, you stole it away from me!"

Sora gasped to the side, turning red with shame.

"Yeah, but you also knew that I had my eye on the same thing," Tai said evenly. "I'm sorry if I hurt you, but . . ."

"Oh shut up you stupid shmuck!"

"What did you say?" hissed Taichi.

"Hey! Guys, please don't fight!" Gabumon and Taichi's digimon, Agumon, tried futilely to interject.

It was too late; Yamato had already leapt across the short distance to tackle Taichi.

Maelyn watched the two wrestle across the ground, each finding their punches connecting solidly. What the hell was going on? She wondered. No time to ponder; Maelyn knew that he had to break them up before one or both of them were seriously hurt. It didn't even matter to her that they were both significantly larger than she was, she still approached the fray without fear.

Ignoring the pain spreading through his body, Yamato threw himself at Taichi with every ounce of rage he contained. He felt cartilage snap as the blood of Tai's nose oozed over his balled fist.

Taichi cried out, scrambling away to Sora, who desperately tried to stem the blood flow. 

Yamato didn't turn after him, so consumed with his own ire. He trembled visibly as adrenaline surged through his veins; he longed to punish Taichi some more. A hand gripped his shoulder tightly. Yamato assumed that it was Tai coming back in for more. Spinning around, he launched another deadly right hook. Again, it made a solid connection on his opponent's face. 

All of Yamato's fire left him when he heard her cry out and saw her crumpling to the ground in a broken pile. Bright green eyes stared up at him, filled with anguished tears. Yamato felt as though he too would cry.

"M-Maelyn," he stutters. "I . . . I thought you were Taichi . . . I . . ." Yamato shook his head in shame and sprinted off into the forest, Gabumon quick to follow. He had struck a girl, one that he hated, but that was beside the point. Yamato just wanted to run, to find whatever dark hole he could so he could curl up and die.


	6. Assault At Sunset

Assault At Sunset

By EntreriRose

  
  


"Are you all right?"

"Huh?" Maelyn looked up at Ken's pallid, worried face as he pulled her hand away from where Yamato had struck her. It throbbed dully, the slight pain bearable.

"Yep, he broke your nose," she heard Jyou mutter to the side. All of the others had gathered around Taichi, eager to help their leader in anyway.

"Great," Taichi swore. "And Mr. Too-cool gets away without much more than a scratch."

"Umm . . . Tai? What exactly were you two fighting about now?" Mimi, in the usual fashion of a busy body, had to dirty her nose with the minor details of everything.

"It's nothing," Sora interrupted a bit too promptly, drawing the group's attention.

"I think that I might know," Maelyn said softly, being helped to her feet by an attentive Ken. "You see, I was down by the lake with Shinimon and . . . well-"

"Maelyn, don't you dare!" Taichi cried.

Now all eyes were focused once again on their bloodied leader. Taichi grinned sheepishly and sank back down into Sora's lap.

"Oh . . . I get it!" Hikari started her juvenile giggling. "You and Sora are-"

"Hey!" Five teenagers groaned, except the shamed couple and those that knew about them, as Takeru interjected. "Where'd bro go?"

"I don't think any of us give a damn," Tai snorted.

"Yeah, he's acting like a big old baby," Sora added.

Maelyn quirked and eyebrow troubled by the group's apathy toward their friend but opted to remain silent.

"Besides," Gomamon gave a big, dopey smile. "He's just being Yamato. He'll turn up sooner or later."

"I guess so," Takeru conceded. "He has done this before."

Maelyn shook her head, almost not believing what she heard. "Some friends you guys are!"

"Huh?" It seemed the Chosen Children were always in sync.

"How can you just abandon him like that?" she clarified.

"Oh . . .?" Again Taichi made a failed attempt to pull himself to his feet. "And how can you defend him after that entire fiasco. For Christ's sake, he hit you hardest."

"I . . ." Maelyn really couldn't think of a valid reason. "Well I'm not about to sit around on my ass with evil talking monster things out there. He could already be dead for all we know."

"Geeze, what's gotten into you?" The bloody leader finally made his feet. "You'd think you actually like the bastard with the way you're talking."

"Take that back!" Maelyn shouted, immediately regretting it.

Taichi grinned wickedly. "You do, don't you? You've got the hots for Yamato." Maelyn hung her head, growing increasingly angry at his taunts. "You know . . . I'm sure he'd like a good fuck about now. Why don't you-"

"Taichi, stop that!" Sora scolded from the side.

"If you think that," Maelyn said seethingly, "then he should have hit you harder." With a flounce she turned from the group, waving away Ken's protests and pleas as she started in the direction that Yamato had previously run off in.

"Where do you think you're going? Get back here!" Taichi tried to thrust his obvious power over the others on her.

Maelyn looked over her shoulder at the boy with tall, wild hair and blood smearing his face. In that instant she could comprehend just why Yamato hated him to the point of beating him into the ground. Taichi had assumed his role without unanimous consent and expected everyone to follow him blindly. Frightening as it was, Maelyn could feel empathy for Yamato, at least on this issue.

"Blow me, Leader-boy," she spat over her shoulder and disappeared into the trees.

* * ***

His head buried in his hands, Yamato sank deeper into self-pity. He hadn't known what had come over him; only that one of his punches landed of Maelyn and had downed her.

Gabumon watched in silence, only the slightest hint of any judgement shining in the depths of his wise red eyes. He didn't understand Yamato's action but he found himself capable of forgiving them. Cloaked in quiet, he continued a worried vigil over his dear friend.

With a pitiful sigh, Yamato turned his face to the burning sun, a hand slowly drifting to his jacket pocket. Bringing the slightly rusted instrument to his lip, Yamato played out a low mournful tune.

*****

The quiet notes lightly danced on the wind; Maelyn wasn't quite certain if she had even heard them. Having no other leads, she followed sorrowful music in hopes that it would eventually bring her to Yamato. But she didn't expect to find him seated in the center of a small clearing, tears streaming down his pale face as he poured his soul into the singing harmonica. Maelyn felt it tugging at her heartstrings and, not wanting to break the painful beauty of the scene, ducked behind the nearest tree as not to be seen. She didn't know how long she watched him play, didn't notice that she could no longer feel the hot midday sun on her bare legs. The fiery colors of sunset only increased the splendor of the song; it's hushed, lamenting melody washing over her, sending her into a daze.

The rustle of leaves and brambles as Maelyn fell over snapped Yamato and his dozing partner out of their spell. Icy blue eyes canned the perimeter warily, noting how a particular group of bushes were trembling violently.

"Go away Maelyn!" Yamato snapped.

"Oh don't act like you're so tough," she retorted, pulling twigs and such out of her mussed hair. The blond youth blinked at the curious girl. "Well," she said impatiently. "You ready to go back to the group or what?"

Yamato turned away, his cheeks touched with color as he flushed in silent shame. "I'm not going back," he said softly.

"Why the hell not? We do have to save two worlds, you know. I don't think we can afford to waste any more time while you sit here wallowing in self-pity."

"Shut up!" Yamato sprang lithely to his feet, feeling his anger quickly returning. "You don't know anything about, so just shut up!"

"I know you're a selfish, spoiled, pompous jackass!" Maelyn crossed her arms defiantly, not about to give him an inch this time.

"Shut up!" He was trembling visibly now, white knuckled fists clenched at his sides. "Shut our I swear I'll . . ."

"What?" Maelyn asked mockingly. "You'll hit me?"

Possessed by his rage, Yamato charged the smaller girl, his momentum giving him enough force to pin her against the tree she was nonchalantly leaning on. His fist flew up, poised to swing down for a crushing blow square in the center of her now colorless face. It was the sight of that face, shadowed and contoured by the failing sunlight that had stopped him from striking. Maelyn had gone limp between him and the rough trunk of the unforgiving tree; emerald eyes squeezed shut in terror, and tiny pools of tears just beneath the thick lashes. Yamato could feel her quivering against him, as though begging him physically not to hurt her.

Lowering his opened hand, the tall young man tried to stammer an apology. "Maelyn . . . I . . . uh . . . I didn't . . ."

Her eyes flickered open, Maelyn gazed up into his wide, sapphire blue eyes. The look within their shimmering depths was frightened, a keen fear of what he had almost done again. For the first time Maelyn thought she saw the truth of Yamato, the vulnerable, scared and lonely young man that kept the world at a distance with his cold demeanor. And, as much as she would hate to admit it, she found what she saw there absolutely beautiful.

Maelyn tried vainly to respond, to find some way to break the tense and awkward moment. But she again lost herself in those two points of cobalt light. Shivering , she let her eyes slip closed again, feeling his breath stirring the wisps of hair that hung about her forehead and warming her skin. Stealing another look, she saw the brilliant colors of sunset reflected in those perfect eyes, setting gentle fires on his face and hair. Despite herself Maelyn felt herself sinking toward him, his lips a magnet for hers.

* * * * *

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Taichi howled in pain as Jyou continued to tend to his blasted nose. The air was thick with a tense uncertainty. Hours had passed and the group had yet to hear from either Yamato or Maelyn. Of course prideful Taichi could hardly care if her ever saw either of them again. Let those two have each other, he thought bitterly. Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll slaughter each other.

Across the clearing, on of the younger members of the group was plagued by a different set of thoughts. Ken sat against an old tree, his head hung and his partner Wormon on his lap. Inside he was torn, tossed between a long standing loyalty to the group and his unexplainable affection for his newest friend. It took all his willpower not to disappear into the twilight, into the forest himself and to further the alienation from the rest of the Chosen Children. 

He couldn't though, Ken knew that he simply could not leave. With a soft, resigned sigh, he let his gaze drift over the shaded clearing. Those dark eyes popped wide when he realizes that a certain reptilian digimon was also absent.

"Uh . . ." he looked around, finding that all the others had conveniently forgotten about him. "Guys," Ken said softly. He flushed a light, frustrated shade of pink when still no one paid him any heed. "GUYS!!!" 

"Huh?" All eyes fixed confused looks on the normally soft-spoken boy.

Ken never got his chance to speak. A cry sounded from above as the dark shadow descended over the ambushed group.

* * * * *

A lone, reptilian figure stumbled through the tress. With each fall, she tenaciously lifted herself up and put her short legs back to running. Maelyn was in grave danger, Shinimon could feel it in the air. If only her legs were longer or her leathern wings stronger, then perhaps she could reach her in time.

Shinimon's heart sank as the last rays of the sun were blackened out by a large, writhing mass. She was too late. With a feral growl, the purple dragon digimon stubbornly pressed on. 


	7. The Birth of Drakiramon

The Birth of Drakiramon

  
  


By EntreriRose

  
  


"Crimson Lightning!"

Yamato cried out as the vermillion electric chain wrapped around his neck, yanking him away from Maelyn and slamming him full force into the nearby trunk of a tree. Sharp pain jolted through the back of his head as the world slipped away into darkness and his body fell to the ground.

"You pathetic children never learn." The speaker stood the full height of a man, with the graceful build of a dancer and neatly styled blonde hair. But he was too discolored to possibly be human, though he spoke and dressed and acted with all the mannerisms of one.

"Myotismon," Gabumon spat from where he hung suspended by a dozen bats. "What do you want?"

"It's simple," the vampire digimon continued with his rich tenor. "The Guardians must not be allowed to live. They are a danger to my master's plan."

Maelyn leaned heavily against the trunk of the thick tree, her mind a ball of confusion, Staring att he unconscious Yamato, she took a shaking step forward. Then, for some inexplicable reason, her furious glare leveled on Myotismon.

"Y-you . . . You nearly killed him!"

"And now it's your turn, my dear." He lifted his long arms toward the trembling girl. "Grisly Wing!"

"Violet flame!" A blast of pure, shimmering radiance hit the wave of darkness head on, repelling it from a cowering Maelyn.

"Shinimon," both Gabumon and Maelyn whispered in a mixture of shock and relief.

"Hmm . . . so there's the lizard, "Myotismon spat. "But you're much too late; the Guardians are mine!"

"Don't push your luck," the mini purple dragon growled, the sorrowful expression on her face replaced with fury.

"Hahahahaha! What can you do? You're only a champion; you can never defeat me."

"Violet flame," Shinimon cried, losing another lavender blast at the diabolical digimon.

"Crimson Lightning!" The energy chain connected solidly, blasting through the feeble attack and knocking Shinimon easily aside. Now only Maelyn, frightened past her wits, was left to face the vampire.

Myotismon took slow, calculated steps toward her, his ivory fangs gleaming in the dimness of twilight. He came on, uninhibited, pressing against her smaller form and bending in to take a bite of her slender neck. Maelyn let out a choked scream as his mouth connected.

White light enveloped them, Myotismon cowering away from her. The light spread, lifting Shinimon from the ground and encasing her in a glowing cocoon.

"Shinimon digivolve to . . . Drakiramon!"

Exploding in a brilliant flash, the light vanished and revealed the metamorphosed Shinimon. No longer was she a diminutive three feet tall and bipedal. She had become the shining image of the dragons of old, her wingspan blockading the sky from view, her tail as nearly as long as that with razor spines at it's end. 

"White Wind!" the new, furious voice boomed. Powerful, deep violet wings beat, sending a milky ball of searing energy toward the evil digimon. Myotismon screamed out in agony, collapsing to the forest floor.

"You will never defeat him!" he yelled vehemently before he disintegrated before their very eyes.

"Maelyn," Drakiramon said, scooping both Yamato and Gabumon onto her back. "Get on. It isn't safe here."

"But . . . the others?" Maelyn wasn't quite sure of anything that had just happened.

"They are more than capable of taking care of themselves." Seeing no point in arguing, Maelyn climbed on and they flew off into the night.


	8. A Rival's Care

**A Rival's Care**

Drakiramon touched down softly, laying the unconscious Yamato several yards away before she dissipated back into her previous form of Shinimon. Maelyn paced across the diameter of the small glade, back and forth, again and again, trying desperately to sort through her tumultuous thoughts. And with each pass she looked up only once, making sure that her eyes avoided the vision of Yamato.

All the color had left his already fair skin, making the young man seem even more as though he was carved from cool marble rather than flesh. The impact of his lean body slamming into the sturdy tree trunk had torn several buttons away from the once pristine dress shirt of his school uniform, blood marring both its surface and that of his unblemished, hairless chest.

No, Maelyn simply couldn't bear the sight at all. Not considering what had nearly happened. He had almost hit her once more, and then he had almost kissed her; was truly and eyelash's width away before being so violently interrupted. And poor Maelyn didn't know which frightened her more; his fist or his lips.

An urgent scratching at her calf pulled Maelyn from the whirlwind in her mind and she looked down to see not only Shinimon, but Gabumon as well, staring up at her with wide, wet, and ultimately terrified eyes. "He . . . he hasn't stopped bleeding yet," Gabumon managed to stammer through his trembling. "And he's shivering all over"

Maelyn let out a resigned, frustrated sigh. But for every ounce of her confusion and her mixed emotions, she knew she simply couldn't ignore the youth's dire state. He was in horrible shape, and, if left unattended much longer, was indeed in mortal danger.

"Gabumon, find some wood and make a fire. Not too large and not too close. Just enough to give a little light and enough warmth for us all." The little wolf-St. Bernard creature nodded hesitantly and moved off a short distance to gather the twigs and small branches he would need.

"Maelyn?" It was the first thing Shinimon had said directly to her, and a tremor went through her heart. As if she wasn't in enough pain already.

"I need water, if you can find it Shinimon. Clear, if possible. And perhaps some thick leaves to keep him warm if it comes to that." Without another word, the brave little dragon began her search, leaving Maelyn to stare down helplessly at Yamato's granite visage.

She didn't want to do it, but logically she knew that human hands were much more adept at the delicate work ahead than paws or talons. Gingerly, with the fire popping softly at her back, Maelyn began the remove what remained of the jacket and dress shirt of Yamato's school uniform. Thankfully, there was a patch on the shirt which was still relatively clean and it didn't take much to tear it free of the rest of the tattered garment. Soaking the cloth in the cool water Shinimon had the fortune of discovering, Maelyn began to softly and slowly wipe the crimson blood from his creamy skin.

Fortunately the cuts along his torso were not so many or so deep as she had originally feared, and the flow of fresh blood had already stemmed. Maelyn blew out a soft breath of relief; her work would be just to clean him up and make him comfortable. With all luck, he would awake by morning and be able to answer the many questions darting about her unsettled mind. But then, there were some things which she simply didn't want to know the answers to.

Yamato's soft moan as she dragged the wet cloth along his chiseled stomach dashed away any coherent thoughts that managed to slip into Maelyn's attention. Her gaze was drawn to his face, his smooth, perfectly proportioned features twitching ever so slightly before returning to emotionless stillness. But her eyes remained transfixed long after the motion and sound had passed. The soft glow of the small fire cast contouring shadows across his skin, the darkness slipping into all of the right lines of his face and body and only serving to amplify his physical perfection. Even the fresh wounds about his lean chest, stomach and strong arms seem to flow with the natural shape and form of his body.

Maelyn bit her lip and turned away. She swore at herself under her breath, and gripped her bare knees so tightly that the skin reddened under her fierce grip. "Damn it! DAMN IT ALL!" The startled looks of two exhausted Digimon set Maelyn back into the silence of her own realization. Yamato's beauty was simply unearthly and she suddenly had the answer the prominent problem plaguing her.

The prospect of his kiss was more frightening by far.

Her deep green eyes slid slowly open to the sight of the last dying embers of the meager fire as she drifted to wakefulness from the fog of her troubled sleep. It was still a good four hours until sunrise, most likely, but something had caught her attention through her dreams. Then she heard it over Gabumon's snore and Shinimon's soft sibilant hissing, a most dreadful sound that stopped her heart cold. Maelyn bolted upright and tossed her head over her shoulder.

The shivering had become visible tremors and blue was beginning to creep into the milky whiteness of Yamato's skin. Her fears were right; the noise that had caused Maelyn to wake up was the chattering of teeth and pained moaning.

Maelyn remembered Gabumon's tale of once warming Yamato his own fur during their first foray into the Digital World. But looking at the diminutive digimon, she knew it would never work now. Yamato had grown into a tall and fit young man in the years since he was an eleven year old boy. And she couldn't possibly wake the exhausted creature. Not with the possibility of powerful and evil digimon on the prowl. Shinimon wouldn't be much help either, and would in fact only serve to make the youth more uncomfortable. What on earth could she do?

Then it hit her. While living in New York a few years ago she had seen a movie in which Val Kilmer was slipping into hypothermia and a woman had saved him by covering him with herself and warming him with her own body heat.

Maelyn's eyes darted back to Yamato, not sure whether she should be excited or revolted by the prospect of pressing against his lean frame. Yet, she had no choice either way and with a silent oath that he would indeed owe her when he woke up, Maelyn slipped her blouse over her head and lay over her back as she laid half on top of and half next to Yamato's chilled body.

A bird? What was a bird doing singing in the skyscraper jungles of Japan? No . . . there was more than one bird, and they weren't pigeons. And why was his mattress so hard and lumpy, not to mention the weight on his chest was far too heavy to be that of a single blanket.

Rays of sunlight fell over his face as Yamato began to realize where was. He let out a groggy groan and blinked the crust of a long sleep away from his eyes. The sky was a perfect blue, the promise of a warm day, and he lay there for a long moment as he soaked in the song of the birds and Gabumon's rhythmic snoring. Then the weight on his chest and the smooth silkiness against his sore skin once again caught his attention.

"What the fuck? Maelyn!" was all he was able to cry out in his absolute shock. But it was enough, as the girl sprang away from him like a frightened doe before fully realizing what was going on. And, though he'd never admit it, to Yamato's enjoyment, it took Maelyn a few moments to realize that she stood before him in only her denim shorts and lacey unmentionables in a dusty pink.

"Izzy was right," Yamato snickered derisively as he held up her discarded shirt. "You do have a 'prodigious' rack. But that's just like me; unconscious when I finally get to second base."

"You stupid asshole! I saved your life last night!" Maelyn was almost the same shade as her brassiere as she tore her blouse away from his light grip, and only turned pinker when he winked perversely as her leaning over gave him a closer and better view of her ample cleavage. She gave his thigh a sharp kick for good measure after she was finally able to pull the garment over her head.

With a grunt, she made her characteristic flounce and began to stride away to rouse the still snoring Gabumon. A soft grip on her bicep stopped her movements short.

"Thank you," Yamato whispered, his closeness sending a shudder rippling through Maelyn's body. She threw a look over her shoulder, more than a little unsettled by his sheer proximity to her.

"Don't mention it," she resignedly replied as she extracted herself from his grip, more than a little unsettled.

Yes, the prospect of that unclaimed kiss was by far more frightening than the passion of his rage.


	9. Watching From The Shadows

**Watching From The Shadows**

A soft hint of a smile touched the corners of Yamato's dawn-tinted mouth. It felt strange to him; he was actually . . . happy. Repulsively, inextricably, and amazingly happy. Warmth buzzed through his body, created by more than just the uncharacteristically bright mid-morning sunshine.

That sunshine, he thought wistfully. It could do amazing things by simple trickery of the light. Like the way it lit up the few golden strands in Maelyn's flowing hair as she fawned over the numerous baby digimon.

Yamato shook fiercely; what the fuck was he thinking? Granted, Maelyn wasn't hideous, maybe not even all that ugly, but that still didn't warrant him entertaining ridiculous notions of stroking and petting her silken soft hair. With a growl, Yamato buried his face in the upturned palms of his hands, overcome with a sense of shame. Contentiousness never was one of his turn-ons, so what was the matter with him.

A wetness on his leg pulled the youth from his angry thoughts, and he peered through slightly separated fingers at the blushing and giggling Chibimon that had bee seated on his shin. His first impulse was to hoist the tiny menace and toss him clear across the field of digi-eggs. Yamato sincerely meant to do just that, had even moved to grab the little demon until he felt a sharp sting on the back of his head.

"How can you be so cold, Yama? It's just a baby." Maelyn bent low to cradle the now whimpering creature against her full bosom, soothing it with soft murmurs that could not have possibly been any coherent string of words.

The feeling passed through him in a rush, and in the next tidal wave, came flooding right back. Yamato clambered to his feet, staring down hard into Maelyn's eyes, wearing his rage openly. This time she did not back away in the least; she merely set the tiny digimon on the grass and returned the cold visual lock hold in full, fires gleaming under the gentle green of her eyes.

"You didn't have to hit me," Yamato hissed, moving so dangerously close that Maelyn could feel the damp of his spittle.

"And you," she countered with deadly calm, "don't need to get angry at a baby. A baby, Yamato. A small, helpless creature can't help but lose control of its bladder now and again."

The color fell away from Yamato's marble featured face, and he sank back into his posture of shame; seated on the grass, his head buried away in his hands. In all truth, he looked absolutely absurd, being naked to the waist and a large, unpleasant wet spot on the leg of his pants. Maelyn watched the scene for a long moment before softening her own posture when she saw his shoulder begin to softly bob.

"Yama . . ." she whispered, dropping to her knees and draping a friendly arm over the youth's strong, bare shoulders. She wholly expected him to flourish back into a wrathfully state, and half expected that anger to manifest by shoving her away. What she didn't expect was for him to turn fully into her embrace, his tear-streaked face now pressed against the softness of her blouse. With a soft sigh of surprise, Maelyn wrapped him all the tighter, no questions asked.

"Auntie Mae-win . . ." the very same Chibimon tentatively approached, followed by nearly a score of his infant brethren. "When someone sings a song, it makes us happy." A dozen puff-ball creatures bounced to the affirmative.

Maelyn let her gaze slip to Yamato's golden head for a fraction of a breath and then looked back to the small assembly set in front of her before nodding that it maybe best to ease all of their nerves. But what to sing? Something catchy, she decided, and a bit more upbeat than they all were feeling. Hesitating more than a bit, she drew in the first breath of music and let the words flow as they would from her lips . . .

_"The daylight's fading slowly, but time with you is standing still. I'm waiting for you only, the slightest touch and I feel weak. I cannot lie, from you I cannot hide. And losing will to try; cannot hide it, cannot fight it._

_So go on, go on, and leave me breathless. Temp me, tease me, 'til I can't deny this loving feeling. Make long for your kiss. Go on, go on. Yeah . . . c'mon._

_And if there's no tomorrow, and all we have is here and now, I'm happy just to have you. You're all the love I need somehow. It's like a dream, although I'm not asleep. And I never want to wake up. Don't lose it, don't leave it._

_So go on, go on, c'mon and leave me breathless. Temp me, tease me, 'til I can't deny this loving feeling. Make long for your kiss. Go on, go on. Yeah . . . c'mon._

_I cannot lie, from you I cannot hide. And losing will to try; cannot hide it, cannot fight it._

_So go on, go on, c'mon and leave me breathless. Temp me, tease me, 'til I can't deny this loving feeling. Make long for your kiss. Go on, go on. . ."_

Someone more than just the little digimon had gathered to hear Maelyn's soothing voice, and someone more than Yamato felt it touch deep down in the pit of his heart. But unlike the troubled youth, this man, if he could truly be considered a man, did not deny the beauty in everything that Maelyn did. Even her breathing seemed miraculous to him.

He envied and loathed Yamato in that still moment as the song drifted away in the air. He long to be cradled similarly to Maelyn's lovely breast and have his golden hair stroked lovingly. And Yamato callously abused her affection at every turn he could as if it were his right to mistreat one of God's most glorious creations.

With a feral growl, and a flourish of his dark cape, the stranger moved deeper into the wood surrounding the Digimon Nursery, vowing to himself that Yamato would indeed pay dearly.

Maelyn's brow furrowed, etching the finest lines across her face. Comforting Yamato seem well and fine to her, but he could at least move his head from its quite comfortable position on her chest. She nearly moved to throw him off and spit a thousand venomous accusations of being a pervert at him when she noticed the blissful expression on his face the slight line of drool running from the corner of his strong mouth.

He slept quite peacefully until Maelyn shifted his head off of her breasts to her lap, sapphire eyes fluttering open and peering up at her through the haze of a dream. And much to her further shock, Maelyn thought she saw the slightest hint of a smile on his face as he drifted back to his untroubled slumber.

It was nearly sunset when he finally woke up from his languid position on the soft, crisp grass. Feeling more alive than he had in days, he rolled over on his side, propped up on an elbow, soaking in the preposterous scene before.

"I'm sorry Auntie Mae-win," Chibimon would stare at his feet if he had any. "We onwy have one bwanket."

Yamato's fine eyebrow arched. One blanket, two bitter enemies; it was going to be a long night indeed.


End file.
